King Charles and Queen Camilla have stepped out for their first royal event on their tour of Australia on Sunday morning.
The King and Queen were met by cheering crowds as they kicked off trip with a morning at church.
The royal couple, who had enjoyed a rest day after flying in to Sydney on Friday evening, were greeted at St Thomas’s Anglican Church by hundreds of royal fans waving flags as they arrived for the morning service.
On their way in the King, in a pale grey suit and Camilla, in a pale green Anna Valentine dress and coat and straw hat by Lock & Co, stopped to chat to excited schoolchildren.
"He asked us if we knew what the bible was and if we studied it," said one girl.
Asked what it was like to meet the King and Queen, the youngsters chorused: "Amazing!"
© Don ArnoldThe couple were escorted by the Archbishop of Sydney, the Most Reverend Kanishka Raffel, and greeted young children waving miniature Australian flags inside the church grounds before entering and taking their place in the front row. The excited children gifted Camilla a stunning bouquet.
Ten year old Abigail Smith, 10, in her Scouts uniform, gave the King a special present. She said: “I drew a picture of a kangaroo and gave it to him.“He said ‘you are very kind’.“I didn’t it because the kangaroo is an Australian animal.“I think he liked it.”
Joe Ackland, 48, of Melbourne, said: “It was amazing. I asked him if he would be going to go surfing or swimming on Manly Beach and he said ‘if I was a younger man’.”
The organisers of the royal trip requested a "fairly normal service" for this Sunday despite the 450 people expected to join Charles and Camilla inside the church. The streets were lined with royal supporters, with some brandishing welcoming the couple to Australia.
© Don ArnoldWhile there was small group of protesters waiting nearby, they were outnumbered by whooping, whistling crowds clamouring to catch a glimpse of the royal visitors.
Lisa Knezevic, 43, of Sydney, said: "I want to let him know how we appreciate he made the really big trip."
"I’m just excited and grateful he has made the journey and so I’ve come to support him."
© SAEED KHANSheffield-born Ryan Gilpin, 33, has lived in Sydney for the last eleven years, said: "I’ve been waiting 33 years for this moment because I just love the King and the Royal Family."
Ellie Mantle, wife of Rector Micky Mantle, took youngsters from St Thomas’ Church Sunday School to meet the royal guests, and brought a rugby ball, cricket ball and a stuffed koala as gifts for the King’s grandchildren George, Charlotte and Louis.
She said: "It’s a great honour for us as it’s the first opportunity for the public to see the King and Queen."
Later, the King told of his joy at returning to Australia for the first time as monarch, he said: “Thank you, Ladies and Gentlemen for making me feel so very welcome.”
After saying it was “slightly worrying” to have realised it was nearly 60 years since he came to Australia for the first time, he presented a gift to the State Parliament’s upper house.– an hourglass speech timer, “In the spirit of marking the passage of time, it is my great pleasure to present a small gift to the Parliament. It is in fact an hourglass — a speech timer — to sit in the chamber and bear witness to the Legislative Council’s next chapter,” he said.
“With the sands of time encouraging brevity, it just remains for me to say what a great joy it is to come to Australia for the first time as Sovereign, and to renew a love of this country and its people which I have cherished for so long.”
The pair landed Down Under on Friday night after a gruelling 24-hour plane trip, braving the wet weather to be greeted by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his fiancée Jodie Haydon, as well as Chris Minns and the Governor-General.
In a sweet moment upon their arrival, 12-year-old Ky and his sister Charlotte welcomed the king and queen with a bouquet of flowers. Ky, who is battling a blood condition, requested to meet the royals through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
© SAEED KHANThe royal trip is jam-packed; after Sydney, they head to the nation's capital, Canberra, where they will view the Australian War Memorial and pay their respects at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander memorial.
The pair will then return to Sydney to view a naval fleet, followed by a community barbeque visit, proving how down-to-earth the couple are.
Charles and Camilla will separate and attend further community events before departing for Samoa, where the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting will take place.
© Don ArnoldThey are staying at Kirribilli House overlooking Sydney Harbour, the prime minister's secondary official residence.
This trip is particularly special for Charles, as it is his first overseas tour since receiving his cancer diagnosis this year.
It also marks the first time a reigning king has visited Australian shores; Charles' mother, Elizabeth, came to the continent no less than sixteen times during her tenure and was the first reigning monarch to visit.
